Electrospray occurs when the electrostatic force on the surface of a liquid overcomes surface tension. Under certain conditions, a Taylor cone is created at the emitter of an electrospray device. A liquid jet may be emitted from the apex of the Taylor cone.
Electrospray devices may be formed from glass or metal capillaries fed by a reservoir. Such devices are described in WO2007/066122. However, electrospray devices based on capillaries may be difficult to manufacture, handle and clean or to manufacture in large numbers.
Therefore, there is required an electrospray emitter that overcomes these problems.